Dedicated to the Preservation of California Native Flora

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illustration by Brendan Monroe from the New York Times Letters to the editor page

Daniel Fink, longtime Theodore Payne Foundation supporter and past board member, wrote a short and snappy letter to the editor of the New York Times which was published the other day.

I don’t read the New York Times, but one of my old technology buddies does get it, spotted the mention of native plants, and passed on the link to me. Thanks, Kevin!

The gist of the Times article was that we weren’t conserving as well as we could under voluntary rules. Here is the link to the full article: “Forceful Steps Amid a Severe Drought” (news article, Jan. 16).

And Daniel’s response was, in part, “…developed land in California should be planted with native plants appropriate to each of the many soil zones and climate conditions in our large and varied state.”

A CNPS Supporter, Jo Oseman, just had a nice article published in the Sacramento Press – talking about how the Sacramento area residents have been feeling the urgency to convert to more sustainable practices and native plants, of course, fill that need.

Chris Lewis sent me the link this morning and I just and to share it…they are starting to offer turf conversion rebates – cash paid to homeowners who remove grass areas in order to plant beautiful, low-water using gardens.

Jo says, “Whether or not the rebate program can move quickly enough to accommodate those ready and willing to rip out their water guzzling turf, native plant advocates are here to showcase the many other benefits of the Golden State’s natural flora.

Native-plant landscaping is low maintenance and, since native plants are hardwired to adapt to local environments, requires less water, less fertilizer, and little to no pesticides. Add to this the beautiful array of colors and scents, and the wildlife viewing made possible by the natural draw of native plants for native wildlife, and there’s no denying it: cash or no cash, a native garden is the place to be!”